"Fate!"
As the dragged out and abstruse ancient Hermes term resounded, the spots where the Spirit World Plunderer and Klein stood suddenly darkened.
It wasn't very obvious, as though a cloud had drifted over in midair without stopping.
But when this illusionary shadow dissipated, the invisible figure that was donning a translucent white robe stood frozen on the spot. The surface of its clothes showed signs of worms crawling across it. It was sluggish, slow, and in a dire state.
Across it, Klein's eyes had their lucidity return. The meat tendrils on the shadowed face beneath the papal tiara vanished.
It appeared as though it wasn't the Spirit World Plunderer who had controlled Klein's Spirit Body Threads and nearly succeeded; instead, it appeared as though Klein was the one who was controlling it and had nearly converted it into his marionette!
The Fate Siphon charm switched one's fate!
This was a high-level charm made using a Worm of Time. It could siphon off the target's subsequent fate, and in a short period of time, burden it with that of the target's, so as to complete an exchanging of fates.
Therefore Klein and the Spirit World Plunderer's situations had switched. One went from death to survival, while the other went from victory to instant despair.
After confirming that the Spirit World Plunderer was intelligent and extremely difficult to deal with, making it difficult to hunt it, Klein began putting on an act of retreating. He appeared rash as he deliberately walked into the Spirit World Plunderer's control, enticing its actions, ready to use the Fate Siphon charm at the critical moment!
That way, what terrible acts the Spirit World Plunderer did to its enemy, the charm would then allow it to experience the same despair!
Of course, if the Fate Siphon charm didn't have the expected effect, or if the Spirit World Plunderer's main soul didn't appear and had ended up using other means to control the situation, Klein still had his last trick up his sleeve to protect himselfdirectly end the summoning and return above the gray fog. He would sacrifice his two marionettes and a few mystical items in order to ensure his own safety.
Without the time to marvel at how magical the Fate Siphon charm was, or how terrifying angels from the Marauder pathway were, Klein didn't hesitate to raise the Sea God Scepter high up before the swapping of fates ended.
The dark blue papal robe flared up with the wind as the golden papal tiara emitted meshed blue and silver beams of light. At the tip of the white bone scepter, it shot out bolts of lightning that gathered into a ball before landing on the Spirit World Plunderer's body!
A swath of silver color brightened up immediately, inundating the target, turning the surroundings white.
Once, twice, thrice. Klein continuously triggered terrifying lightning balls, expending his spirituality without holding back.
Finally, he heard a roar that seemed to stem from the depths of one's soul as he instinctively sensed that his target had collapsed and dissipated.
Only then did Klein lower the Sea God Scepter and watch the silver lightning sizzle away.
At that moment, his entire Spirit Body had turned rather illusory. Even with the Tyrant's augmentation, it didn't seem real.
As the lightning dispersed, the invisible figure in the white translucent robe appeared once again in Klein's sight.
Flickering light emerged from within as the Spirit World Plunderer's body cracked, turning into countless illusory bubbles that disintegrated bit by
bit.
The Tyrant had succeeded in the hunt.
At this moment, deep within Calderón City, there was a sudden quake. It was as though a massive creature had awoken as a result of the Spirit World Plunderer's death, or that countless dangerous creatures were surging out.
The indescribable feeling combined into a swath of illusory grayish-white and, like a tidal wave, rose up from the bottom.
Other Spirit World Plunderers? No, it appears to be a more terrifying and horrible creature. A being that the Spirit World Plunderer attends to? Also, in Calderón City's core region, at the end of the deep pit, it's still as silent as ever. There's no sound at all, making it more horrifying... Klein pumped himself up as he diverted some attention in order to monitor the situation inside Calderón City as he anxiously waited for the Spirit World Plunderer's characteristic to appear to form an ingredient.
He wasn't relishing in the delight of a successful hunt but was pacing about anxiously at the edge of the abyss.
During this process, Klein got Enzo and Ludwell to stay close to him. He threw the Sea God Scepter to the former so as to escape the state of irascibility. He began considering how to deal with the subsequent development with a clear mind, as well as consider whether he had missed out on some other details.
As the thoughts flashed in his mind, Klein suddenly recalled something:
Back when he made the mystical items sing, Creeping Hunger had praised the True Creator and had used "His" complete honorific name.
Although the human-skinned glove had used Hermes instead of ancient Hermes or other languages that could stir the powers of nature, the former was still usable when it came to sacrifices! This also meant that the True Creator might've very well heard Creeping Hunger's praises and noticed the commotion here.
Apart from the rising grayish-white tide and the terrifying creature deep down in the city, there are other dangers... Wait, I'm now a Spirit Body, equivalent to a wraith. I'm not in my normal state... Just as Klein's mind thought of something, his spiritual perception was triggered as he instinctively cast his gaze at the entrance to Calderón City.
The lights there flickered as a figure entered.
The figure was wearing a simple and ordinary linen robe with a head of silver hair.
He was a handsome man with soft facial features. His eyes were gentle with some hints of coldness. It was as though he was observing the fates of everyone in the world like a spectator.
Behind him, there were beams forming illusory layers of pure wings. They spread outwards, blocking the entire entrance.
ILI
Klein nearly hissed through the gaps in his teeth as a series of titles and names flashed across his mind:
Ouroboros!
Tail Devourer!
Angel of Fate!
King of Angels!
He didn't have the luxury of time to consider the possibility of his previous thought. His body expanded as though it was incorporeal, enveloping his marionettes, Enzo and Ludwell, the yet-to-appear characteristic, and the Spirit World Plunderer's remnant bubbles within!
At this moment, Ouroboros's silver eyes already had the distant figure in "His" sights. It was a figure wearing a papal tiara and a dark blue robe, exuding extreme oppression and tyranny. There was a grayish-white fog that had been blurred by the Tyrant's aura.
A river of flickering light appeared in "His" eyes, seeming to circle the Tyrant figure and the periphery of Calderón City.
Silently, the square houses and the pale-white columns stood up again despite being destroyed by the Lightning Storm from before. The charred legs of the giant blacksmith once again possessed a body as he appeared inside the tomb, striking at the anvil.
All of this returned to what it was like shortly after the Tyrant stepped in.
However, Klein in his pontiff attire had vanished. His two marionettes along with the remnant bubbles of the Spirit World Plunderer had vanished as well.
The corresponding figure was unable to return as the rebooted scene shattered, turning back to the desolate state after the battle.
Tail Devourer Ouroboros watched silently for a long while before making a move. The grayish-white swath that rose up from the depth of Calderón City slowly receded back down.
Above the gray fog, Klein slumped in the high-back chair of The Fool in exhaustion. He wasn't even able to get Enzo and Ludwell to massage him.
He had already thrown the Sea God Scepter back to the junk pile. The Tyrant card had left his soul body and was placed facing down beside the Black Emperor card. The Spirit World Plunderer's bubbles were floating ahead, with the Beyonder characteristic constantly seeping out before combining with the points of light.
After resting for a while, Klein saw grayish-white powder fall onto the mottled table's surface. Following that was a transparent item that seemed weightless.
The item was the size of a palm, formed by coiled maggots. It was almost shaped like a human, and its interior was filled with a colorless liquid. Bubbles often emerged, scattering black hints of light.
Klein didn't dare to look at it carefully, as there was a more complicated structure in the weightless transparent object. They formed indescribable patterns and symbols that seemed to fuse knowledge, power, transformation, secrets, bizarreness, and madness within, making them no longer abstract.
This made Klein feel very dizzy. His mind was even on the verge of breaking down, with his soul almost losing control.
This is likely the true soul of the Spirit World Plunderer... I have the corresponding powder as well. There's about 70 grams, more than I needed. It's more than I expected. Klein nodded indiscernibly and stored the powder into a box. Together with the true soul body, he threw them on the junk pile and covered it with the gray fog.
After completing this, he raised his hand to rub his temples and made a self-deprecating remark:
If it wasn't for the Sea God Scepter, I probably would've had to leave Calderón City due to the assault of the Spirit World Plunderer. I would then wait until I had helpers and could make the most solid of hunting plans so as to control the stirrings of the area to not alarm the unknown entity at the core region...
Sigh, I was rash the entire time. Although the outcome was fine, it really doesn't suit my character. It's also completely at odds with the Seer pathway's acting. In the future, I should try to avoid using the Sea God Scepter in the outside world.
Uh... The Spirit World Plunderer has been successfully hunted. There's no need for me to get Miss Sharron's help. In a few days, I'll write to her so that she won't be thinking over this matter.
However, I have a premonition that I'll still be heading to Calderón City in the future. When that happens, perhaps I might still need Miss Sharron's help.
In addition, I have to seek out information on Bizarro Banes. I can't put all my hope on the City of Silver...
Amidst his thoughts, Klein directly returned to his body, without bringing his marionettes. He ended the ritual and headed straight for bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
"Escaped?" Soest looked at the man opposite him and asked Daly Simone who was carrying out a spirit channeling
They had just finished their operation and had captured a few Numinous Episcopate members. However, the key personnel the intel pointed at, Hand of White Palenque Taciblius, wasn't at the secret gathering point.
He was a Sequence 4 demigod; therefore, not only had the Red Gloves team used a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, they had even requested Goddess's Eye Ilya's help. However, it was all futile.
Daly Simone nodded.
"Yes."
She then looked at the captive, suddenly speaking with an ethereal voice, "Where did Palenque Taciblius go?"
"H-he said he was going to meet someone," the Numinous Episcopate member answered slowly.
"Who is that person?" Daly Simone pressed. Leonard Mitchell and company also cast their gazes over.
The man who was being spirit channeled answered with an unperturbed voice, "Ince Zangwill."
